Gate-latch



UNITED STATES PATENT 'OFFrcE.

ALBERT L. GRAYSON, OF RUTHERFORDTON, NORTH CAROLINA.

GATE-LATCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 241,646, dated May 17, 1881. Application filed March 16, 1381. (Model.)

10 all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ALBERT L. GRAYSON. of Rutherfordton, Rutherford county, North Carolina, have invented a new and Improved Latch for Gates, of which ,the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is the production of a latch for gates which shall be efficient, cheap, durable, and simple of construction, and one which will not be effected by the shrinking and swelling of the gate or by the ordinary lateral hearing or displacement of the gateposts.

My invention consists ofa wire or rod of iron bent into a square loop, one end of the rod bein g'extended to pass through the gate and have a knob or other means of turning or swinging the loop for unlocking the gate secured to it, the loop being adapted to catch over a triangular projection or keeper secured to the gatepost.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of a gate having my invention attached. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively side and front views of my invention, and Fig. 4 is a top view of the same.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

A represents the latch, and B the keeper. The latch A is formed preferably of the round rod a, of iron, bent as shown, to form the square loop D, the end a of the rod being extended, as shown, and adapted to pass through the upright bar H, in which it is loosely held, and to have knob G secured to its outer end, fortnrning the latch for opening the gate. The

keeper B is preferably triangular in form, and

may be of Wood or metal. It is secured to the gate-p0st E by means of the screws b b, in such positionrelative to the position of the latch on the gate that when the gate is closed the loop will ride up the inclined face of the keeper and drop or fall over the square face thereof, and thus retain the gate closed.

In order to open the gate, the knob should he turned so as to raise the lower part of the loop out of contact with the front face of the keeper, and thus disengage it therefrom, leaving the gate free to be opened.

To prevent the loop being caught between the gate and the gate-post E while the gate is being closed, I provide the gate with the pins 0 0, near the top and lower side of the loop and on opposite sides thereof, which prevent the swinging of the loop, except in the proper direction.

Instead of making the keeper of wood and securing it to the post by screws, as shown, the catch may be formed of sheet metal or of a rod of iron, and not depart from the spirit of myinvention.

Having thus described myinvention, Iclaim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent The latch D, formed of a rod of iron hentso as to form a square loop, and having the extension a, in combination with the knob 0,

pins 0 c, and the keeper B, substantially as shown and described.

ALBERT LOGAN GRAYSON. Witnesses: v

A. D. K. WALLACE, M. H. JUSTICE. 

